Holding device for liquid containers, especially for installation in motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

A holding device for liquid containers to be installed in motor vehicles has a holder adapted to support a liquid container at its circumferential surface, a drip tray for collecting spilled liquid and adapted to be arranged under the liquid container and movably joined to the holder, and a protective housing. The holder and the drip tray are movable between an inner locked position in which the holder and the drip tray are enclosed, nested into one another, in the protective housing, and an outer locked position in which the holder and the drip tray are sufficiently far apart to enable the liquid container to be placed in the holder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Different versions of holding devices for liquids containers for use inmotor vehicles are commercially available. Often, such devices are builtinto the motor vehicle by the manufacturer directly. Preferredconstructions are those which, when not in use, are housed in thedashboard, in the central console or in an arm rest, and which can bemoved by the user, as required, from this storage position into aposition of use, in which drinks cans or drinking cups can be placed inthe device.

In order to hold the liquids containers steady, in these known modelsthey are supported in the holding device firstly at their bottomsurfaces and additionally, at the greatest possible vertical distancetherefrom, are supported by means of a ring-shaped holder at theircircumferential surfaces.

In order to make sure that such relatively bulky holding devices take upas little space as possible for storage when they are not in use, theyare generally composed of several moving parts which can be folded up tooccupy a substantially smaller volume as the holding device is pushedinto a protective housing arranged in the motor vehicle.

Because of this construction, the holding devices are restricted to theabsolutely necessary elements, which support the liquids containersmerely by point-contact whilst the main part of the containers issuspended "freely in space".

There is consequently a risk that liquids, which spill over out theliquids containers as a result of vibrations or accelerations, will beable to flow unchecked over the interior furnishings of the motorvehicle.

Holding devices which are supposed to compensate for sloping positionsof the liquids containers by gimbal mountings, thus preventing spillingof liquids, are commercially available. But the construction of suchdevices is very complicated and unwieldy and is therefore unsuited forstorage in a space-saving manner in a protective housing. Such devicesalso provide no effective protection when liquids spill over as theliquids containers are set down in the holding device or taken uptherefrom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem underlying the invention is to provide a holding device forliquids containers, especially for installation in motor vehicles, whichis housed in the storage position in a space-saving manner in aprotective housing and is constructed so that liquid which spills overfrom an inserted liquids container is caught in the holding device andis not able to flow over the interior furnishings of the motor vehicle.

The features provided according to the invention solve this problem.

By means of the drip tray located beneath the holder, it is possible toensure that liquid which spills over from the cans or cups placed in theholder because of vibrations, accelerations or the manner of handlingthe containers is caught in the holding device, and is not able to flowover the interior furnishings of the motor vehicle.

For space-saving housing when not in use, the holder and the drip traycan be nested into one another, thereby approximately halving thevolume.

The movement apart of holder and drip tray as they are moved out of theprotective housing frees the holder so that a liquids container can beinserted from above and is supported at its circumferential surface bythe holder and at its bottom surface by the drip tray.

The drip tray can be movably joined directly or by way of a carrier tothe holder. The latter option provides the advantage that the drip traycan be removed from the holding device for cleaning purposes. This couldbe effected, for example, by folding the holder upwards or by pullingthe drip tray out forwards.

In a preferred construction, the holder moves out of the protectivehousing whilst the drip tray is lowered beneath the holder. It would, ofcourse, also be possible, in kinematic reversal, for the drip tray tomove out of the housing and the holder to move upwards out of the driptray.

The movement apart of the holder and drip tray could be effected byspring force, and the nesting together thereof as they are inserted intothe protective housing could be effected by means of a control cam, forexample on the housing.

The ejection of holder and drip tray from the protective housing couldequally be effected by spring force, but then a manually releasablelocking mechanism that would lock the holder and the drip tray in theprotective housing would have to be provided.

The supports arranged on the holder for the liquids containers arepreferably in the form of ring-shaped openings, in which the liquidscontainer can be placed from above. The surface of the holder preferablyslopes in such a manner that liquid that has spilled over passes throughthis ring, or other apertures in the holder, into the drip tray.

The holding device can be designed to receive one or more liquidscontainers standing behind one another and/or side by side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention are explained ingreater detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a first embodiment of theholding device in the outer locked position, with a liquids containerplaced therein.

FIG. 2 shows a transverse section through the holding device accordingto the embodiment of FIG. 1, in the outer locked position.

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the holding device accordingto the embodiment of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the inner locked position.

FIG. 4 shows a transverse section through the holding device accordingto the embodiment of FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, in the inner locked position.

FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal section through a second embodiment of theholding device, in the outer locked position.

FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal section through a third embodiment of theholding device in the outer locked position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 4 shows a first embodiment of the holding device. Theprotective housing 2 in which the holder 3 is guided so that it islongitudinally displaceable is arranged in the arm rest 1.

A spring 4 is arranged between the protective housing 2 and the holder3. On release of the locking mechanism 5 by means of the button 7arranged on the front wall 6, it moves the holder 3 from the innerlocked position into. The outer locked position, the ejection path islimited by the stop member 8 arranged on the protective housing 2.

The holder 3 has a U-shaped cross-section, which is formed by the topwall 3a and the two side walls 3b, 3c. At the front side, the holder 3is covered by the front wall 6. It closes off the opening in theprotective housing 2 when the holder 3 is in its inner locked position.

The two ring-shaped openings 9, 10 for receiving the liquids containers11 are arranged in the top wall 3a of the holder 3. The height of thesupporting surfaces 9a, 10a of the openings 9, 10 correspondssubstantially to the height of the side walls 3b, 3c of the holder 3.The supporting surfaces are provided at their upper end with lead-inslopes 9b, 10b, whilst at their lower ends 9c, 10c they are open.

The carrier 14 in which the drip tray 15 is mounted so that it islongitudinally displaceable is hinged on the holder 3 by way of swivelarms 12, 13.

The swivel arms 12, 13 are rotatably mounted on the insides of the sidewalls 3b, 3c of the holder 3 and on the outsides of the side walls 14b,14c of the carrier 14.

The drip tray 15 has a bottom wall 15a, side walls 15b, 15c and a rearwall 15d and a front wall 15e. Their heights of which substantiallycorrespond to the heights of the side walls 3b, 3c and of the front wall6 of the holder 3.

In the outer locked position, the carrier 14, together with the driptray 15, is lowered under the action of the leg spring 16 to a positionbelow the holder 3. Therefore the drip tray 15 can be pulled out of thecarrier 14 from beneath the front wall 6 by the handle 15a for cleaningpurposes, and can be pushed into the carrier 14.

Supports 15f which support the liquids containers 11 placed in theholder 3 at a distance from the bottom wall 15a are arranged on thebottom wall 15a of the drip tray 15. This prevents the liquidscontainers 11 becoming dirty through contact with the liquid which hascollected in the drip tray 15.

As the holder 3 is pushed from the outer locked position into the innerlocked position, the two swivel arms 12 ride up onto the front edge 2aof the bottom wall 2b of the protective housing 2 and are pressedupwards against the force of the leg spring 16. The carrier 14, togetherwith the drip tray 15, is therefore folded from below into the holder 3and the side walls 14b, 14c of the carrier 14. Also the side walls 15b,15c and the rear wall 15d and front end wall 15e of the drip tray 15 areinserted into the cavities of the holder 3 bounded by the side walls 3b,3c and the front wall 6 and the supporting surfaces 9a, 10a.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment in which the drip tray 20 isdirectly hinged to the holder 25 by way of the swivel arms 21, 22. Toclean the drip tray 20, the cover 25a, which is rotatably hinged to theholder 25 and on which also the supporting surfaces 26a, 27a of thering-shaped openings 26, 27 are arranged, can be folded upwards.

Alternatively, it would, of course, also be possible in thisconstruction for the drip tray 20 to be connected by way of a carrier tothe holder 25 and to be taken in an upward direction out of the holdingdevice for cleaning.

FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment. In this embodiment the outer lockedposition the holder 30 moves upwards out of the drip tray 31, which isinserted into the carrier 33 mounted in the protective housing 32.

By folding down the front wall 33a, the drip tray 31 can be pulledforwards out of the carrier 33.

It would, of course, also be possible in this embodiment to omit thecarrier 33 and to guide the drip tray 31 such that it moveslongitudinally directly in the protective housing 32. To clean the driptray, for example, the holder 30 would then have to be folded upwards,as already shown in the embodiment according to FIG. 5.

I claim:
 1. A holding device for substantially circular liquidcontainers adapted to be installed in motor vehicles, comprising aholder adapted to support a liquid container at its circumferentialsurface; a drip tray for collecting spilled liquid and adapted to bearranged under the liquid container and movably joined to said holder; aprotective housing, said holder and said drip tray being movable betweenan inner locked position in which said holder and said drip tray areenclosed, nested into one another, in said protective housing, and anouter locked position in which said holder and said drip tray aresufficiently far apart to enable the liquid container to be placed insaid holder, and a carrier which joins said drip tray with said holder,said holder having a top wall, said drip tray being arranged to beremoved parallel to said top wall in a forward direction from saidcarrier and to be inserted into said carrier.
 2. A holding device asdefined in claim 1, wherein said holder is longitudinally displaceablein said protective housing.
 3. A holding device as defined in claim 1,wherein said protective housing has an opening; and further comprising afront wall which is arranged at a front side of said holder and closessaid opening of said protective housing when said holder is inserted. 4.A holding device as defined in claim 1, wherein said holder has sidewalls directed downwardly from said top wall.
 5. A holding device asdefined in claim 4, wherein said top wall has ring-shaped openings forreceiving the liquid container.
 6. A holding device as defined in claim5; and further comprising downwardly directed supporting surfaces whichare arranged in said openings and support the liquid container.
 7. Aholding device as defined in claim 1, wherein said drip tray has abottom wall, side walls, a rear wall and a front wall.
 8. A holdingdevice as defined in claim 7, wherein said bottom wall of said drip trayhas supports on which bottom surfaces of the liquid container aresupportable.
 9. A holding device as defined in claim 1, wherein whensaid holder is arranged in said outer locked position said holder swingsupwards out of said drip tray.
 10. A holding device as defined in claim1; and further comprising a spring which effects a movement of saidholder and said carrier with said drip tray out of said protectivehousing from said inner locked position into said outer locked position.11. A holding device as defined in claim 1; and further comprising areleasable locking mechanism which fixedly holds said holder and saidcarrier in said protective housing.
 12. A holding device as defined inclaim 11; and further comprising a releasable locking mechanism whichholds said holder and said drip tray in said protective housing.
 13. Aholding device as defined in claim 11; and further comprising a springwhich effects a movement apart of said holder and said drip tray duringejection from said inner locked position into said outer lockedposition.
 14. A holding device as defined in claim 11, wherein saidprotective housing has front edges formed so that nesting of said holderand said drip tray into one another during insertion into saidprotective housing is provided by running onto said front edges of saidprotective housing.
 15. A holding device as defined in claim 11, whereinsaid protective housing has front edges formed so that nesting of saidholder and said carrier into one another during insertion into saidprotective housing is effected by running onto said front edges of saidprotective housing.
 16. A holding device as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid holder has cavities bounded by side walls of said holders a frontwall and supporting surfaces, said carrier having side walls, said driptray having side walls, a rear wall and a front wall, said side walls ofsaid carrier and also said side walls, said rear wall and said frontwall of said drip tray being foldable into said cavities.
 17. A holdingdevice for substantially circular liquid containers adapted to beinstalled in motor vehicles, comprising a holder adapted to support aliquid container at its circumferential surface; a drip tray forcollecting spilled liquid and adapted to be arranged under the liquidcontainer and movably joined to said holder; a protective housing, saidholder and said drip tray being movable between an inner locked positionin which said holder and said drip tray are enclosed, nested into oneanother, in said protective housing, and an outer locked position inwhich said holder and said drip tray are sufficiently far apart toenable the liquid container to be placed in said holder; a releasablelocking mechanism which holds said holder and said drip tray in saidprotective housing; and a front wall provided with a button whichunlocks said locking mechanism.
 18. A holding device as defined in claim17; and further comprising a carrier which joins said drip tray withsaid holder.
 19. A holding device as defined in claim 18; and furthercomprising swivel arms which join said carrier and said holder so thatsaid carrier and said holder are displaceable while remaining parallel.20. A holding device as defined in claim 18, wherein said drip tray andsaid carrier are guided in said protective housing so as to belongitudinally displaceable.
 21. A holding device for substantiallycircular liquid containers adapted to be installed in motor vehicles,comprising a holder adapted to support a liquid container at itscircumferential surface; a drip tray for collecting spilled liquid andadapted to be arranged under the liquid container and movably joined tosaid holder; a protective housing, said holder and said drip tray beingmovable between an inner locked position in which said holder and saiddrip tray are enclosed, nested into one another, in said protectivehousing, and an outer locked position in which said holder and said driptray are sufficiently far apart to enable the liquid container to beplaced in said holder; and a fold-up cover which contains openings andis arranged on said holder.
 22. A holding device as defined in claim 21,wherein said cover has supporting surfaces.
 23. A holding device forsubstantially circular liquid containers adapted to be installed inmotor vehicles, comprising a holder adapted to support a liquidcontainer at its circumferential surface; a drip tray for collectingspilled liquid and adapted to be arranged under the liquid container andmovably joined to said holder; a protective housing, said holder andsaid drip tray being movable between an inner locked position in whichsaid holder and said drip tray are enclosed, nested into one another, insaid protective housing, and an outer locked position in which saidholder and said drip tray are sufficiently far apart to enable theliquid container to be placed in said holder, said holder having a topwall and side walls directed downwardly from said top wall, said topwall having ring-shaped openings for receiving the liquid container,said top wall of said holder having sloping surfaces which guide fluidinto said openings.
 24. A holding device for substantially circularliquid containers adapted to be installed in motor vehicles, comprisinga holder adapted to support a liquid container at its circumferentialsurface; a drip tray for collecting spilled liquid and adapted to bearranged under the liquid container and movably joined to said holder; aprotective housing, said holder and said drip tray being movable betweenan inner locked position in which said holder and said drip tray areenclosed, nested into one another, in said protective housing, and anouter locked position in which said holder and said drip tray aresufficiently far apart to enable the liquid container to be placed insaid holder; and a carrier which joins said drip tray with said holder,said carrier having a fold-down front wall, said drip tray being movableforwards out of said carrier.
 25. A holding device for substantiallycircular liquid containers adapted to be installed in motor vehicles,comprising a holder adapted to support a liquid container at itscircumferential surface; a drip tray for collecting spilled liquid andadapted to be arranged under the liquid container and movably joined tosaid holder; a protective housing, said holder and said drip tray beingmovable between an inner locked position in which said holder and saiddrip tray are enclosed, nested into one another, in said protectivehousing, and an outer locked position in which said holder and said driptray are sufficiently far apart to enable the liquid container to beplaced in said holder; a carrier which joins said drip tray with saidholder; a releasable locking mechanism which fixedly holds said holderand said carrier in said protective housing; and a front wall providedwith a button which unlocks said locking mechanism.
 26. A holding devicefor substantially circular liquid containers adapted to be installed inmotor vehicles, comprising a holder adapted to support a liquidcontainer at a circumferential surface of the liquid container; a driptray for collecting spilled liquid and adapted to be arranged under theliquid container and movably joined to said holder; and a protectivehousing, said holder and said drip tray being movable between an innerlocked position in which said holder and said drip tray are enclosed,nested into one another, in said protective housing, and an outer lockedposition in which said holder and said drip tray are sufficiently farapart to enable the liquid container to be placed in said holder; and acarrier which joins said drip tray with said holder, said holder beingarranged so that in said outer locked position said holder swingsupwardly out of said carrier.
 27. A holding device for substantiallycircular liquid containers adapted to be installed in motor vehicles,comprising a holder adapted to support a liquid container at acircumferential surface of the liquid container; a drip tray forcollecting spilled liquid and adapted to be arranged under the liquidcontainer and movably joined to said holder; and a protective housing,said holder and said drip tray being movable between an inner lockedposition in which said holder and said drip tray are enclosed, nestedinto one another, in said protective housing, and an outer lockedposition in which said holder and said drip tray are sufficiently farapart to enable the liquid container to be placed in said holder; acarrier which joins said drip tray with said holder, and a spring whicheffects a movement apart of said holder and said carrier duringrejection from said inner locked position into said outer lockedposition.